The Garfield County Public Library District (GCPLD) was the topic of the open public comment period at Monday’s commissioner meeting. Library board president Adrian Rippy-Sheehy presented the commissioners (BOCC) with several updates, including an overview of the recent library-sponsored housing forum at the Ute Theater in Rifle, which the BOCC did not attend. Rippy-Sheehy said the event was recorded and is available at www.riflenow.org/communityvideos.

She mentioned a library board retreat and stated that notice of applications for the vacant board position for the Rifle District was posted on Friday, Feb. 23. She said the application deadline is March 23 and interviews will be conducted at the regular library board meeting on April 4 in Glenwood Springs at 2pm. 

Commissioner Tom Jankovsky said he wanted more than one person brought in front of the BOCC for consideration and that he would like to see all the applications “because it’s our responsibility.” Rippy-Sheehy suggested that the BOCC attend the interviews. “We’ve got a process of being fair and equitable to everyone and those will be spelled out,” she added. “But I’m not going to send those applicants to you prior to our meeting.” The commissioners agreed, but later changed their tune. 

John Lepkowski told the BOCC that he applied for the library board vacancy and that he returned all 35 of the Manga books he had checked out of the Silt Library, ostensibly to protect the community from what he considers to be “x-rated [and] obscene” content. 

At the end of Monday’s meeting, the BOCC went into executive session with the county attorney to discuss library board appointment issues. After about 20 minutes, they emerged with an action item. 

“Mr. Chair, I would like to move that this board directs staff that we take over the appointment…” blurted Jankovsky, quickly correcting himself. “Not ‘take over’,” he said. “That we take control of the appointments to the library board, which means advertising, looking at the applications and looking at all of the potential applicants to be on the board, and that we do that immediately for the position that’s vacant right now in Rifle.” 

Jankovsky said that this move is in line with what the BOCC does with other county boards and is “standard operating procedure.” 

“So, we’re not stepping outside of our authority to do this,” said Martin. It was a unanimous decision in favor of the idea.  

A letter was drafted by the county attorney Monday afternoon, signed by Martin, sent to Rippy-Sheehy, and, upon request, was also sent to The Sopris Sun. It states “The BOCC has determined it will be advertising, accepting applications, interviewing, and appointing the trustee for the Rifle area to sit on the GCPLD Board of Trustees. Please modify your posting to reflect this decision by the BOCC. Please forward any applications the GCPLD received to the BOCC. You will be notified of the date and time for the interviews should you and the other trustees wish to participate in this process.” 

GCPLD Executive Director Jamie LaRue told The Sopris Sun on Monday, before the letter was sent, that the trustees received no advance notice of the BOCC’s direction. “Nor have we yet received any formal communications from them about this sudden break in longstanding practice. It is a cause for concern,” he said in an email. 

It is uncertain if this will change the original timeline for trustee application deadlines and interviews. 

Other news
The BOCC approved a resolution opposing the relocation of the Grand Junction U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Processing and Distribution Center to Denver. The USPS is taking comments on the move through March 8 at surveymonkey.com/r/mpfr-grand-junction-co.

The BOCC heard updates from Mountain Valley Developmental Services, equine assisted learning and therapy centers WindWalkers and RIDE and the county human services department (DHS). Total EBT and EFT disbursements for January were $956,795.50. 

The BOCC allocated $250,000 to the Town of New Castle for costs related to the roundabout planned for the intersection of Highway 6 and Castle Valley Boulevard. New Castle town officials said that construction begins in early March and should be completed by late November. 

The Middle Colorado Watershed Council received $10,000 for annual support and $5,000 in matching funds for ongoing Grizzly Creek Fire mitigation work. The BOCC  gave final approval for $100,000 from the county’s Oil and Gas Mitigation Fund Reserves for outside counsel regarding the Cumulative Impacts Rule Making with the state’s Energy & Carbon Management Commission. Martin said the BOCC is not protesting anything. “We will work with everyone as we were invited but it does cost dollars to participate.”